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Unravelling The Culinary Journeys Of Three Popular Indian Chefs

We talk to three celebrity chefs and unravel their culinary journeys that are part of their most memorable moments in life.

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By: Sharmila Chand Published: Sep 03, 2021 07:00 AM IST

Unravelling The Culinary Journeys Of Three Popular Indian Chefs
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock

We talk to three celebrity chefs and tap into their culinary journeys that are part of their most memorable moments in life. By Sharmila Chand

Culinary travel has been on top of most chefs’ to-do lists. Watching chefs orchestrating their presentation, and the sight, aroma and textures of the dishes awaken and ignite all senses, say the travelling chefs. A strong sentiment echoed by all the chefs is that food is a very powerful medium that helps in bonding with other chefs and communities. To them, it defines their journeys, memories and above all, who they are. Here’s what three such travelling chefs have to say about their culinary journeys.

Chef Manish Mehrotra
Corporate Chef, Indian Accent Restaurants

 

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A post shared by Manish Mehrotra (@chefmanishmehrotra)

“The more you travel, the more you learn! Wherever I go, whether in India or abroad, I explore local ingredients and markets. I try the local cuisine; it helps me work on the menu at Indian Accent. Travelling inspires the chef in me!”

He adds, “I would like to share my recipe for Tuna Bhel Ceviche, Lime Cream, Crushed Kurkure, which is an ode to my 13-year-old daughter’s crazy love for Kurkure.”

Elaborating on one of his many culinary journeys, he says, “We were in Mexico where we had Tuna Poke, and that same evening, as she and I were sharing a packet of Kurkure, I was inspired to think of combining this spicy, crispy snack with fish. Tuna does not have an overpowering taste and can thus blend well with spices. It’s a delicate fish that cannot be cooked in spicy masala. The tangy flavours of Kurkure as a garnish make for a dish that’s uniquely Indian in taste, with a fish not traditionally used in Indian cooking.”

Tuna Bhel Ceviche, Lime Cream, Crushed Kurkure

Ingredients

  • 50 grams fresh yellowtail tuna, diced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh sweet lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind chutney
  • 1 teaspoon onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons avocados, diced
  • 2 teaspoons water chestnut, diced
  • 2 teaspoons pomegranate seeds
  • 3–4 mint leaves, crushed
  • 4–5 coriander leaves, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon chaat masala
  • Salt to taste

For the lime cream

  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • ½ teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon lime juice
  • ¼ teaspoon green chillies, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon ginger, finely chopped

To serve

  • 1 tablespoon Kurkure, crushed

Method

For Tuna:

  • Place diced tuna pieces in a large bowl.
  • Add sweet lime juice, lime juice and tamarind chutney, and mix well.
  • Allow it to marinate for about 15–20 minutes, till the tuna absorbs the flavours.
  • Next, remove the tuna pieces from the marinade. Retain the citrus marinade.
  • Add diced onions, avocado, pomegranate seeds, water chestnuts, mint leaves, coriander leaves, chaat masala and salt to the marinated tuna. Toss well.

For lime cream:

  • Mix mayonnaise with finely chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies, lime juice, lemon zest and crushed black pepper.

Plating

  • Take a scoop of lime cream and spread it in a bowl, coating the sides.
  • Place the tuna mix in a mould.
  • Remove the mould and place the tuna in the bowl coated with lime cream.
  • Drizzle some of the reserve citrus marinades on the tuna.
  • Finish with crushed Kurkure.
  • Serve immediately, so that the Kurkure remains crisp.

Chef Vicky Ratnani
Founder of The SpeakEasy Kitchen, Mumbai

 

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A post shared by Chef Vicky Ratnani (@vickythechef)

“For me, travel is all about precious food memories; all my food preparations are inspired by my travels. That’s why I am called #vickythegastronaut!”

Talking about his memorable culinary journeys, he shares, “Eating and drinking in pubs bring back memories of the UK, especially in South Hampton, which was my home port where we used to dock and hit the local pub, Duke of Wellington, one of the oldest pubs serving in Southampton since 1494. Memories of that gorgeously slow-cooked Sunday Roast Chicken will always be with me. It inspired me to create roast chicken in my kitchen with masala or spice blends from Bhopal called rezala. Loaded with aromatic spices like cinnamon, cloves, fennel, black pepper, along with fresh coriander and mint do the magic. Hence a new dish was born, Sunday Roast Chicken Rezala, served with Middle-eastern rice. I tried to get the right colour and crisp skin, which took a while. The chicken goes into a brine overnight, after which it is marinated for five-to-six hours and slow-roasted for almost one-and-a-half hours.”

Chef Ratnani adds, “A country close to my heart is Australia. I’ve been there to film a TV series, and have cooked and eaten lots of great Aussie food. A dish that got etched in my memory was a Tasmanian Salmon with Lemon Myrtle and Tasmanian Pepper Berries.

“The Tasmanian Pepper Berry has a tingling taste in the mouth and has a very fresh peppery flavour. I was inspired by both these spices to create my favourite bread, focaccia, which I’ve been eating and making with different flavours. So I created Tasmanian Mountain Berry and Lemon Myrtle focaccia. Sometimes, I also like to experiment with flavours like Japanese togarashi, Middle-eastern za’atar, Sri Lankan cinnamon, and peppercorns from Madagascar and Zanzibar.”

Chef Anahita Dhondy Bhandari
Former chef-partner SodaBottleOpenerWala, the Bombay Irani Café and Bar

For Chef Dhondy, travel and food foraging go hand-in-hand. She says, “There’s nothing more thrilling than tasting and smelling various kinds of dishes during travels. Every experience has taught me something new to cook and every dish gets etched in my mind, to come back home and create something similar.”

Recounting her culinary trips, she tells, “In July 2019, I had the fortune of travelling quite a bit. That summer I explored, ate food, and met some of the most wonderful people related to food. I can’t forget an owner of a bar in Amsterdam who let me pour drinks and run the bar in the evening! Also, the chefs in London at the Chefs’ Manifesto Action hub made me feel so special and let me experiment with a few trials in their space. In Hong Kong,  I tried to learn the art of making Biang Biang noodles at a small street café.”

“In Napa Valley, we had burritos from a food truck, Tacos el Muchacho Alegre—a recommendation by the concierge at our hotel. It was the best burrito we’ve ever had! Every place we visited, we ate local cuisine that celebrated the culture and what’s grown around. A restaurant in Amsterdam, Merkelbach, was on my list for sustainable, local seasonal, but fine-dining fare. When I returned home, I tried making burritos every fortnight. I also made fresh noodles and plated like the food that was foraged and slow-cooked with local ingredients in Amsterdam,” she concludes.

Sharmila Chand is an author, columnist and senior writer on food, travel and lifestyle.

Related: Get A Glimpse Of The Diverse Indian Culinary Scene With These Five Regional Recipes

Written By

Sharmila Chand

Sharmila Chand

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